However, Hamburg say they are confident they can lure Santa Cruz back to the Bundlesliga.

They have given the 31-year-old, who last played a league match for City in 2010 and has spent the past two seasons on loan at Blackburn and with Spain's Real Betis and Malaga, 10 days to consider their offer.

Hamburg's director of sport, Oliver Kreuzer, said: “Roque has been made a financially very good offer and he has told us he finds Hamburg very interesting.”